How We Collect Trash
Place your Trash items curbside on Garbage Day!
Debris should be placed on the road by the curb, not on your lawn, manholes or storm drains, at a safe distance from all utilities but not blocking the road for safe travel. The trash collection vehicles will come through your neighborhood the same day as the garbage truck. We operate machinery that loads debris in trucks for the collection of trash.
The use of this type of equipment reduces injuries to our staff from having to lift and carry heavy materials. The different trucks collect different materials for proper disposal. Yard debris is collected for composting, while other debris is disposed of differently. Please remember to separate your trash piles.
What We Collect
The following items are collected separately because they have different disposal requirements:
- Yard Debris - bagged leaves/grass clippings (must be placed in brown paper yard bags - landfills do NOT accept yard debris in plastic bags), brush, tree limbs (4 feet or shorter not larger than 8 inches in diameter and no stumps) It is important to separate yard debris from other trash items because it goes to a different landfill than all other items.
- Appliances and metal items
- Furniture, and other non-food items that you are unable to donate or recycle
- E-waste – Environmental regulations prohibit the disposal of televisions, computers, and other electronic equipment in landfills. Residents can take their E-waste to County drop-off sites or big box electronic stores for proper disposal.
What We Cannot Collect
We cannot collect the following items. Most may be disposed of directly by residents at the County’s Landfill and Recycling Centers! Please visit our FAQ section for more general information!
- Engine Parts
- Hazardous materials - such as old pesticides, creosote materials (railroad ties)
- Oil (used oil can be recycled at our Six Mile Facility)
- Tires
- Batteries
- Wet Paint
- Tree Stumps
- Bricks
- Concrete
- Contractor-generated debris from construction, demolition, remodeling, or landscaping (these materials should be hauled away by your contractor and disposed of properly).
- COMPACT FLORESCENT LIGHTBULB (CFL) DISPOSAL - These bulbs may NOT be disposed of in your garbage or trash due to mercury contamination issues. Although beneficial, CFLs contain a small amount of mercury, which is hazardous to humans and the environment. Disposing of CFLs correctly is crucial. Charleston County recycles CFL light bulbs, and residents can bring their old CFL light bulbs to one of the eight Convenience Centers located throughout the County that accept CFLs.
- Propane Tank Disposal
- Trade it in Where You Purchased It
- Bring it to a Local Hazardous Waste Collection Day
- Not in Your Garbage Cart
- Not in Your Recycling Cart
Tips You Can Use
- DONATE IT – the Kidney Foundation, East Cooper Community Outreach, Goodwill, Habitat for Humanity, and other organizations will collect or accept many used items, and some organizations provide a tax-deductible receipt. Items donated to organizations for re-use help reduce the size of our landfills and lessen the need for new landfills. Check our recycling page for more disposal options.
- Tree limbs should be cut into 4 feet or shorter sections and not larger than 8 inches in diameter. Tree stumps are not collected.
- We cannot collect wet paint. Residents will need to take it to the Charleston County Recycling Center.
- Place separate items in separate piles (place limbs and yard debris in brown paper yard bags in one pile and miscellaneous debris like furniture, metal, and appliances in a separate pile).
- Remove refrigerator doors and put the opening towards the ground when placing out for pickup - for safety's sake!
- Place trash material on the road by the curb, not on your lawn (unless the road is too narrow), and nowhere near storm drains. This will reduce damage to your grass and the storm drain inlets, which can be crushed by the equipment.
- Never place debris near any utility boxes, cable pedestals, or water meters.
- Be Advised - do not put items at or near the curb that you do not want to be collected! (ie. toys, bikes, and basketball goals) If you want them collected, please call (843) 849-2022 and let us know.
- To keep our residents safe we cannot accept garbage and trash items for drop-off at our facility.
- NEVER DUMP DEBRIS in or along ditches, or in storm drains!